Pole climber



Jan. 8, 1946. J KNUDSEN 2,392,538

POLE CLIMBER Filed May 2, 1945 INVENTOR 04m. LIMUDSIFV.

Br W Tanner Patented Jan. 8, 1946 TED 4 PATENT OFFICE nonhu an V I Gar! ,J- Knud -f r p n- :hpplication-May'32,11945, 51 595474 (Cl, ZZZ-{25) This invention relates to a pole climber and safety device and "more particularly to-a device adapted to "be disposed about "a pole carrying power lines or telephone or telegraph wires, and grasped by a persons hand while climbing or descend ng r m'theipo e.

.Linemen whp-work for electric power companics or telephone or telegraph companies-have t 0.11 Mb, the P9165 1 90 hi e a s and, norde "to dose, w ar c m ing spikes h vms pu s wh ene rate t pol a "P their feet from slipping f'The pole is ;gra sp ed with the handsibut the entire weight 'is'uponthe-spikes and if a pole i o enedbyc qt ms. ue o a er penetrating the role. th spike e liable to slip instead o "havi deep pe e ra ng --enga m w h th po e .Ithas lsoibeenIoundthatd rin o eat e caea her upon. poles and'wi n m iwho moun thepoles to iixlbro n w es a iab o all due. to legspikesia nejto penetrat the i e and bitecdeeplyll to-a pol a da s due "to :th fact that it .is very .dm nlt. t fl ml gr sp an icy pole with thelifal ids.

.-'I.'h.ere or o e o ject o .therin n e provide clim erintended to .era ped w th oneihandandishi tedla ong npole wh le m ing .the pole. .The im roved mb r ha vrsm r oripenethati s the .onole a :when' vv. is ifted alo elthet oleoandthan t lted to a cant po in by downwardn l J'ihe .51. 1 bit int and. flrmly grip the pole and, spermi rt el n m fito supporthis wei htibytmeahsh the hehdll l qd climber w l brim/eons :oithe spikes o limb rs. strapped, to-hislee and engaged-und r v.his'feet. 1

,Anothfir object is to .so v.iorm .the im r ved climber that, whilelitl may lb pre .shlited along a pole, downward p ll exe ted upon its handle, -.will automatically tilt .the c imber the positionvca silig itss ursto penetratethefpcle- Another obiectis to provide a climber which may b ea ily anpliodtto a hole, where itv W sh id y a metal stra piv tedia tonerend toasideoi the climber and having its other end releasably conneeteq with the-climber by a hook of such construction that while it may be easily and quickly engaged with the climber, and also-readily detached therefrom, it will not be liable to accidentally become disconnected from the climber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a climber having its handle so formed and so located that after a lineman has climbed a pole his safety belt may be passed through the handle .and 'his'twelght, lexert downward pull to tilt the climber to a position causing its teeth 591* spurs to'bite intoithe pole. :Therefore, the line! man will ,be supported :by the hand climberas well as by his ziegispikes andjthis not Qnlyrelieves his. legsfrom strain, but also permit in to ,us,e:.both hands"forirepairingbmken wires-or installingtnew vwires without fear of s1ipping,- ngl falling. V

:Another object of the, invention is, to .smlivide a safety device tor hand operated climber which not only is verytuseful for anexperiencedlifln manpbutawillgiveiasensefoi security to beginners and to workmen who onlychaveto. cli nhia mole, oocasionally.. a

'Another object of the invention :15 to provide. a climber ..which is of simple construction, every strong, and capable-Moi :being manuiactured at small cost. c e j a Theinvention is illustratedin-the accompany,-

ing drawingwherein:

Figure l is a side .view showing the improved climber appliedlto a -pole.

Figure 2 is a wiewllooking fromtthe rightof Figural. I

Figure 3 l is avviewon 'the.iline i3..13 of :Figure 1. Figure 4 is a view ontheiline ofsE-igurel. 'Eigure 5 is a side .view of .-the*:-hook =rfortthe strapof'the-climber.

' Figuredis a sectional view taken longitudinally through thehook v -This improve'd climber ist-for use by linemen when climbing :poles: used :tosupport powers-wires, telegraph and telephone wires. :Such pole-is shown in the drawing-and -in'dicated by the numeral I. The climber is preferablymanufactured in two sizes, one for small to medium poles and the other for larger -poles,- but it .will be 1 understood that theymay be of .any sizeldesired.

The climber-2 iis 'forme'd of strong metal, such assteel ori'ron, and-has a: body which issubstantially U-shaped whenwiewed .top pl an and has -an upper portion :3 and a lower: portion 4. Ends; of the arms of the upper and lower portions :3 and dare eonneetedby bridging --por tions 5 iornged integral the ewith and,in oifder to brace the upper portion, there has-been providedbars or struts 6 spaced from ends of said portions and also spaced from each other, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The upper and lower portions or sections 3 and 4 extend from the bridging bars 5 in diverging relation to each other, as shown in Figure 1, and the upper section is formed with an extension 1 constituting a handle and provided with a cross bar 8 spacedlfrom its bridge 9 so that it braces the handle and also cooperates with the bridge to form a hand hold capable of being readily grasped by the person using the climber. The handle projects outwardly an appreciable extent beyond the lower section 4 and,

when the handle is grasped and pulled downbe forced into the pole and prevent the climber from slipping downwardlyalong the pole. There-. fore, a lineman may place'part of his weight upon' the climber and brace himself while climbing a the pole itself to prevent him from slipping;

2,392,538 be supported by the improved climber as well wardly, the force exerted will tilt the climber and 3 cause spurs l carried by the lower sectionto pole and may have a firm grip upon a support j instead of depending upon his hands gripping The climber must be held to the pole andallowed to be slid along the pole and in order to 1 do so there has been provided a strap ll formed from a strip of spring steel. This strap has one end portion folded and secured by rivets l2 to form an eye l3 through which one of the bridging bars passes to pivotally mount, the strap.

The free end of-the strap is secured to a hook;

I4 by'rivets I5 andthis hookhas abill' IB for engaging about the other bridging bar 5 and releasably holding the strap engaged therewith. A resilient keeper llis' provided to prevent the hook from becoming detached from the bridging bar and may be formed from an end portion of the strap or from a separate strip'of resilient metal which is suitably secured to the shank of the hook. A link l8 which is pivoted to the keeper by a pin l9,.passes through an opening .20 iormedin the hook and, atitsouter end,

This'lever is pivoted to. the

carries alever 2|. link by a pin 22 spaced from the inner end of the lever co-provide a heel '23 for engaging the hook'a'nd pull to be eXertedupon thelink for drawing the keeper to a retracted position allowing disengagement of the hook from the bar 5 when the lever is grasped by its outer end and swung away from the hook. Whenthe. hook is engaged with the bar 5' and the keepervin the operative position shown in Figure '6, the hook cannot .accidentally become detached from the bar 5 and the climber will be held inoperative engagement with the pole.

When :the lclimber is in usepassed about the 'pole at the opposite side thereof. from the climber and "its hook engaged'with the adjacent bridge portion 5., The lineman then the climber upgrasps the handle and slides wardly as hemounts the pole, upon the. handle after. each to cause the spurs ID to bite into the pole and pull being exerted assist in supporting the Weight of the lineman as onefoot and then the other is moved upwardly and the leg spikes driven into the pole While one climber has been shown applied, to the pole, it will be understood that two'may be used, one foreach hand and located one abovexthe other and extending from opposite sides of the pole. Upon reaching the top of the pole the'lineman may ass his safety belt through th handle and his weight will tilt the climber and cause its spurs to dig'into the pole. The lineman will then it isfdisposed in straddling engagement with a pole and its-straps upward movement as by his leg spikes and both hands may be freely used. After wires have been strung or broken wires mended the safety belt is removed and handles of the climbers again grasped and the climbers alternately shifted downwardly along the pole and tilted to a gripping position as the lineman descends from the pole.

What is claimed is:

1. A pole climber comprising a substantially U-shaped body for straddling a pole, spurs extending downwardly fromthelower edge of the trating the pole when subjected to downward pressure, a Ushaped handle projecting outwardly having an upper section and a lower section connected with the upper section by bridging bars,

spurs carried by said lowersection for penetrating the pole, a handle projecting outwardly from the upper section over said spurs, said handle being u-sh'aped andhaving a bracingv barspa'ced from its bridge portion and together forming a hand grip; and a strap for holding thebody' in operative engagement witha polefha'v'ing its ends connected with the bridgingbars.

3; A pole climberv comprisina substantially 'U-shaped-body for straddling'a pole,sal'd body having an upper section-and a lower section'c'onnected with the upper section; said lower section havingmeans for penetrating the pole, a U-shaped handle projecting outwardly "from the bridge; portion of the upper'section and rein-1 forced by a transverselyextending member spaced from its bridge portion, anda strap loosely'car ried by the body at oneside the'reof' and having means at its other end .ior detachably en gaging the other side ofethebody.

4.1'A pole climber comprising a substantially Uesha pedbody'for. straddling-,3, pole, said body havingan upper section and aflower section connected. with the upper section by bri'dgin'gjbars, spurs'carried by said lower'jsection' for penetratingthe pole, a handle projecting outwardl'yffrom the'u'pper section oversaid'spurs, a strap formed from fawstripfof 'resilient metal having one end secured about one bridging bar, a' hook having its shank secured to the other end of said strap, aresilient keeper extending longitudinally of said hook with its free front end engaged under the bill of the hook, a link carried by the keeper and passing through an opening in the hook, and a lever pivoted tothe outer end; of said linkpsaid' lever having its inner end bearing against the hook and serving toexert pull upon the link *to draw the keeper away from the bill of the hook and allow movement of the hook into and out of engagement with-the other bridging bar.

bridge portion of the body at an incline for pene- 

